CHAPTER NINE.
On getting out from among the trees we caught sight of an elephant goingalong at full swing across the plain. There seemed but little chance ofour overtaking him, but my uncle urged us to persevere, for by the largeblotches and splashes of blood which we met with, it was evident that hewas wounded. It was pretty hot work, as we were loaded with ourammunition and our rifles, but we were encouraged to proceed by findingthat the elephant was slackening his pace.
"We shall catch him before long!" exclaimed my uncle. "On, on. If thatlion hadn't interfered, I should have shot him at once; but the brute'slair must have been close to where I stood, and I ran a fearful chanceof being seized by him."
We did not see what had become of the other elephants, and we concludedthat either Mr Welbourn had disposed of them, or that they had run intothe forest to conceal themselves. However, we soon saw that the attemptto overtake the elephant on foot was useless. We therefore made a shortcut back to where we had left our horses. Each of us mounting one,guided by the spoor, we immediately made chase. It was far moresatisfactory to be on horseback than on foot. Following the spoor, wequickly again came in sight of the elephant, which was moving slowly on.Seeing us, he lifted up his trunk and, trumpeting loudly, seemed aboutto charge.
My uncle, notwithstanding, rode forward and fired. The ball struck,when immediately, turning the horse's head, he galloped off, taking theway towards the camp. He had not gone far, however, before the elephantstopped, and Harry and I coming up, both fired, when down it came to theground, and was dead before my uncle reached it.
"A good day's sport, my lads," he exclaimed in high glee. "We shallsoon have the waggons loaded if we go on in this way. Fred, you go tothe camp to bring up the oxen to load with the tusks and meat, whileHarry and I will look after the other elephants and the lion."
I had taken a good survey of the country, so that I believed I couldfind my way, and without hesitation set off. I had gone but a shortdistance when a troop of giraffes hove in sight, and beautiful objectsthey were, with their heads elevated on their long necks. Influenced bythe propensity of a hunter I dashed forward in pursuit. Suddenly, myhorse swerved on one side, and I saw that he had narrowly escaped apitfall. Almost directly afterwards, two of the giraffes sank intoother pits, and on turning round I saw that the animals were pursued bya party of natives, who had them thus completely in their power.
On examining the pit into which I had so nearly tumbled, I perceivedthat it was about twelve feet in depth, with a bank of earth about sevenfeet high left in the centre, broad at the bottom, and narrowing towardsthe top. The fore-legs of the giraffe had sunk into one side of thehole, the hinder legs into another, the body resting on the narrow bank,so that the creature in spite of all its struggles could not possiblyextricate itself.
I left the natives to take possession, and rode on endeavouring to avoidthe pit-falls, of which I had little doubt there were many on my way. Ihad, of course, to go much slower than I should otherwise have done.Though two or three times I nearly got caught, I safely reached thecamp. Stopping merely to take some refreshment, I again set off withthe oxen, to bring in the produce of our chase. We found that it wasnecessary to be quick about it, lest the natives should find that we hadkilled the elephants and appropriate the tusks. They, however, hadhitherto been so busily employed in chasing the giraffes that they hadnot discovered the elephants. We took possession of the tusks, and asmuch of the meat as our party could consume.
Mr Welbourn had been almost as successful, having killed two fineelephants and a couple of deer. Next day we continued our journeynorthward. In passing over the plain, while Harry and I were riding onahead, we caught sight of an animal occasionally rising out of theground and then disappearing.
"That must be a beast caught in a trap or pit-full," said Harry; "let'sgo and see what it is."
On reaching the spot we found that he was right in his conjectures. Hetold me that the animal was a quagga, which somewhat resembles awell-shaped ass. In vain the quagga tried to get out by the mostdesperate efforts. Sometimes its fore feet almost touched the top ofthe bank, but again and again it fell back.
"I should like to take possession of the animal," said Harry, "itdoesn't appear to be at all injured, and if we could manage to break itin, it would make a capital riding horse. If you'll watch the pit, I'llgo and get some of the men to come with ropes."
To this I agreed, and he soon returned with Toko and two other men,bringing not only ropes, but a large sack and a saddle.
"What are you going to do with those things?" I asked.
"You shall see," he replied. "It was Toko's idea."
The quagga looked very much astonished at seeing itself surrounded byhuman beings, and as before, it endeavoured to escape from the pit.
As it did so, Toko, who had fastened the sack to a loop at the end of along stick, drew it over the quagga's head, so as to prevent its biting,which it would have done had it been able to see.
A halter was fixed round its mouth, and ropes were passed under itsbody, by which it was drawn out. As soon as it found itself on firmground, it began to throw its legs out in all directions, but Toko heldit fast by the halter. At last, wearied by its exertions, it stoodperfectly still. The moment it did so, Toko made a sign to hisfollowers, who clapped a saddle on its back, and drew tight the girths.
"Capital!" cried Harry. "I have got a first-rate steed at small cost,and I'll soon show you what it can do."
Before I could dissuade him from making the attempt, he, with his usualimpetuosity, leapt on the quagga's back, and, seizing the bridle, toldToko to let go.
What Harry might have expected occurred. Off started the quagga, fullgallop, towards the herd from which it had been separated by fallinginto the pit. I feared from the vicious nature of the animals, that,seeing some strange being on the back of their companion, they wouldkick it and its rider to death. In vain I shouted to Harry to stop hissteed and come back: that was more than he could do. So telling Toko tomount his horse, I set off in pursuit.
The moment the herd of quaggas saw us coming, away they galloped at afurious rate. There were not many streams, but over the rocky beds ofwatercourses, through dense thickets, up hills, down valleys, on theywent.
Our horses began to show signs of fatigue, and I was afraid Harry wouldbe carried away into the wilderness. To attempt to throw himself offwould have been madness, and yet while the quaggas were running, therewas little chance that their companion would stop.
We had ridden so far that I knew our friends would be anxious about us,for they had not seen us disappear, and no one in the camp would knowwhat had become of us.
To abandon Harry was not to be thought of, and we therefore pushedforward in the hopes of at length coming up with him and stopping hiswild steed. The difficulty was solved in an unexpected way. Suddenlyin front of the herd of quaggas appeared a large party of people armedwith spears and darts. Uttering loud shouts, the blacks began to sendtheir missiles among the herd. The quaggas were thrown into thegreatest confusion, some going on one side, some on the other, othersturning in the direction from which we had come. At length the shoutsand cries around it brought Harry's quagga to a standstill, and enabledus to get alongside. I advised him to dismount.
"No, no!" he answered. "I have got my steed and intend to him, and ifyou ride near he'll go well enough."
Harry was right. The brute, pretty well tired out, went with perfectquietness, and submitted to be tethered with a strong rope and hobblesround its legs, so that there was no chance of its breaking away.
"I'll tame him!" cried Harry. "Tell them, Toko, no one must on anyaccount bring him food--I alone will give it him."
By this time the natives, who had killed half-a-dozen quaggas, had comeclose to us. We considered that it would be prudent, if not an act ofpoliteness, to thank them for stopping the quagga; and Toko, who was ourspokesman, so explained matters, that the hunters expressed theirhapp
iness in seeing us, and invited us to their village.
We should have excused ourselves, on the plea of having at once toreturn to camp; but, as the day was already drawing to a close, and evenToko declared that during the darkness he should be unable to find hisway back, we accepted the invitation, and set off with our new friends,who were in high spirits at the thoughts of the quagga flesh they wereabout to enjoy.
Their huts were larger and cleaner than any we had yet seen; and wefound that, although the people were hunters, they were alsoagriculturists, and possessed pretty extensive plantations at the backof the village.
The women were immediately set to work to prepare the feast; and in ashort time the whole population was banqueting. We, of course, soonknocked off, and begged permission to rest in one of the huts. We hadscarcely however gone to sleep, than we were aroused by a tremendoushubbub; and, rushing out, we found all the women on foot, engaged inseizing their children, whom they had hauled out of their beds, orrather up from the mats on which they lay, and were belabouring themunmercifully with rods. On enquiring the cause from Toko, he told usthat news had been brought that an immense herd of elephants wasapproaching the plantations. The object of beating the children was tofrighten away the animals. This was, for one cause, good news for us,as we hoped to obtain full cargoes for our waggons. We at once offeredto go out and shoot the elephants, if the natives would guide us to thetrees in which we could take up our posts for the purpose.
We soon found plenty of volunteers, and, guided by them, we each reacheda tree in the neighbourhood of the plantations, near which they assuredus the elephants were sure to pass. We gladdened their hearts bytelling them that they should have the meat, provided we retained thetusks for our share. The noise, however, continued; the womenshrieking, and flourishing their rods, the children howling, dogsbarking, and the men shouting at the tops of their voices and wavingfire-brands. Our fear was that the elephants would be frightened, andturn back; but scarcely had we climbed up the trees, each of usaccompanied by several natives, than we caught sight, through the gloom,of the dusky forms of an immense herd of elephants emerging from thethicker part of the forest. We at once, taking aim at the leaders,fired, hoping to kill some and turn back the rest. Two fell, and theherd halted, apparently too much astonished to tell what had happened.
This gave us time to reload, when again the animals came on, passing bythe fallen bodies of their companions. Taking steady aim we again allfired; and, beyond our most sanguine expectations, three more elephantssank to the ground, each shot through the head. Whether or not theshrieks in front distracted their attention and made them regardless ofthe sound of our shots, I cannot say; but the animals scarcely stoppedfor a moment, though some of them trumpeted notes of alarm, and advancedwith apparent caution. The rest stopped lazily, waving about their hugetrunks.
I was very thankful that we were high enough up the trees to be out oftheir reach. Though several passed, us before we had reloaded, othersfollowed, and three more bit the dust. Neither did this stop the onwardcourse of the elephants; for, breaking down the fences which enclosedthe plantations, they swept across, seizing the fruit with their trunks,and transferring it to their mouths.
Again and again we fired together. The cries of the inhabitants did notstop their advance, though it tended to turn them on one side, where,meeting with several huts, they trampled them down as if they had beenbuilt of cards. Had it not been for the exertions of the people, thewhole village would have been destroyed; which Toko assured us, hadfrequently in other instances been the case.
As soon as the elephants had passed, we descended, and as they showed noinclination to turn back, we pursued them, firing as we could makecertain shots, thus killing I am afraid to say how many more, lest myaccount might not be credited.
The remainder of the herd then swept on, though we would not give up thechase until we had expended nearly all the ammunition we had with us.At length we returned to the village, where we found the people takingthe loss of their crops very philosophically, as they considered thatthe abundance of elephant meat would make them ample amends.
"I hope the poor people will not get a surfeit," remarked Harry. "Isuspect in a few days they'll wish the carcases at Jericho, or at allevents, at a distance from their village. Our horses and the quaggawould have fared ill, had the elephants come across them."
After a few hours' rest, we bade our friends goodbye, and mounted oursteeds, promising to return for the tusks, which we reminded them wereours.
Harry wisely kept a sack over his animal's neck, and Toko and I rode oneither side to guide it. The creature went wonderfully well, and soonerthan we had expected we came upon the waggons. The news we brought washighly satisfactory, and without a moment's delay the oxens' heads wereturned in the direction of the village.
The people received us as old friends, and to encourage them to help uswe promised them a reward for each of the tusks they brought in. Theyhad already begun to butcher the elephants which had fallen in theirplantations, and in every direction round the huts strips of flesh werehung up to dry, creating an odour far from pleasant. They lost no timein bringing in the tusks. Harry and I were highly complimented on ourperformance. The tusks being cleaned and stowed away, our waggons werenearly full: another day's successful hunting would enable us to turnour faces westward. We accordingly promised to reward our hosts if theywould bring us information as to the direction the herd had taken.Harry and I had been congratulating ourselves on the prospect of a quietnight's rest in our tent between the waggons; but we had not been longasleep when we were aroused by a tremendous clap of thunder which seemedto break directly over our heads, while almost immediately afterwards,there came a most fearful shrieking and shouting from the village closeto which we were encamped. Slipping on our coats, we hurried out. Aswe did so a curious sight met our gaze. The whole of the malepopulation were on foot, armed with bows, and arrows; and as thelightning darted from the black clouds we saw them shooting away at themas fast as they could place their arrows to the string.
As may be supposed, we kept carefully behind the savages lest we mightbe struck by the arrows, which we had heard were poisoned. The thunderrattled and roared, the lightning flashed, and the men shrieked andhowled. I asked Toko what it all meant.
"They're shooting at the storm-clouds to drive them away," he answered.
"Do you think it will produce that effect?" I asked.
"Who knows?" he replied. "They fancy so, and are therefore right to tryand get rid of the storm, and drive away what they believe would do themharm."
I told Toko that the powerful Being who rules the heavens would not beinfluenced by such folly, though he would be ready to hear the prayersof the smallest child. He seemed to take the matter far more lightlythan I should have expected.
"They are poor ignorant savages," he remarked, "who have not theadvantage of living with white men."
The storm swept by, and the poor people were satisfied that theirshooting had driven it away.
Next morning, inspanning at an early hour, we proceeded in the directionwe concluded the elephants had taken.
While camping at noon, some of the natives who had gone on ahead asscouts, brought us the satisfactory intelligence that the herd werefeeding in a wood about eight miles off; and that as a stream ran by,they were certain to go down to drink in the evening; when, if we tookproper measures, we should be able to kill as many more as we wanted.We lost no time, therefore, in proceeding onward, and as the ground waspretty level we made good progress.
We camped at a part of the stream where we could draw water; and where,from the rocky character of the bank, the elephants were not likely tocome down and drink. On one side it was a swamp, between which and ourcamp we could leave our horses at liberty to feed, one or two men onlybeing required to watch them. As soon as these arrangements were made,we set off to search for the spoor of the elephants, so that we mightplace ourselves in ambush on one side, as w
e had before done, to shootthem as they approached or returned from the water.
As we made our onward way, we caught sight of numerous elephants feedingat their ease in various directions. If they were part of the herdwhich we had lately attacked, they had soon recovered from their alarm.We took up our posts in satisfactory positions, hoping that, before thenight was over, we should have bagged the full complement of tusks werequired.
I do not suppose the detailed account of our various proceedings wouldprove interesting. Suffice it to say, we were not disappointed. Harry,I, and Toko shot one elephant apiece, and my uncle and Mr Welbourn eachshot three, they using explosive bullets, which never fail to kill theanimals they wound.
At length, frightened by the destruction of their companions, theremainder of the herd retreated, and we, leaving the bodies until nextmorning, returned to our tent.
As Harry and I were pretty well knocked up with our exertions of theprevious day, we remained encamped while natives were employed inbringing in the tusks.
After breakfast we strolled out with our guns, hoping to get some wildfowl in the marsh, for we were somewhat tired of feeding on elephant'sflesh.
We had killed several birds, and on our way back we stopped to look atthe horses and quagga, which were feeding in perfect harmony. Thelatter having a bandage round its eyes, and it being hobbled, Harry wentup to it, and spoke gently in its ear.
"Take care!" I exclaimed, "he'll give you an ugly bite."
As I spoke the quagga turned his head and very nearly caught him by thearm.
It was a lesson to Harry not to pet his favourite in future, and Iadvised that he should muzzle it until its temper should becomesoftened.
We were standing talking, when suddenly the horses began to prance andkick up their heels.
"Hallo! what are those?" exclaimed Harry, turning round.
We then saw, emerging from the marsh, where they had been wallowing, acouple of huge rhinoceroses, who seemed to look upon the horses and usas intruders they had a right to drive off their domains.
It was not without some difficulty that we got out of their way. Clumsyas the animal looks, and short as are its legs, it can move withwonderful rapidity over the hard ground.
As our guns were only loaded with small shot, it would have been uselessto fire at them. The horses could take pretty good care of themselves,though they exhibited their fear of the savage-looking creatures byscampering off in all directions.
Meantime, having withdrawn our small shot, we were ramming down bulletsas fast as we could. Although the horses could escape, the poor quagga,with its legs hobbled and its eyes covered, had but a poor chance. Theleading rhinoceros had singled it out as the object of attack; and,before Harry and I could fire, rushing furiously forward, it pierced thepoor animal through with its formidable horns, pinning it to the earth.When too late to save the quagga, we both pulled our triggers, when theanimal, still dragging the body of its victim on, rushed forward severalpaces before it dropped.
We, of course, reloaded, but before we could fire, the other rhinocerosmight be in the midst of the camp and commit all sorts of damage.Fortunately, at that moment, Toko, who had just arrived with a party ofmen carrying the tusks, his rifle being loaded with ball, with awell-directed shot prevented the catastrophe we feared by killing therhinoceros just before it reached the waggons.
We had an evening of rejoicing, for by the addition of our rhinoceroshorns, our waggons were piled up to the very top; and my uncle expressedsome apprehension that the axles might break down with the weight of theunusual load before we arrived at the coast.
We lost not a day in proceeding thither. On reaching Walfish Bay, wesafely embarked the valuable produce we had collected.
So ended the first series of my adventures in Africa. I have, however,since made several other expeditions to various parts of that hithertolittle-known continent, of which I may some day give an account to theworld.
THE END.
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